Facing the Truth
by tear of the sun girl
Summary: Kate/Castle and Lanie/Esposito


Title: Facing the truth.

Rating: Pg-13 or T just to be safe. mild thematic elements.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Castle or anything affiliated with it, Characters, plotlines etc.

Author Note: I love castle and of course Castle/ Beckett but recently I have become absolutely addicted to Espostio/Lanie ships it's all I think about. So here is another fic which has both couplings that is a one-shot.

I hope you enjoy this.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In this fic I am going to go ahead and make it that Kate has been living with Lanie since her apartment exploded. I realize she isn't on the show but when I wrote this I wasn't sure where she was living. When I wrote this Esposito and Lanie weren't together yet either so they aren't in this fiction.

Castle, Ryan and Esposito all sat in a line at the bar. Esposito was in the middle and both he and Castle were well on the way to getting drunk.

"Well Gentlemen this has turned into quite the pity party I must say...thanks...Esposito" Ryan teased and his partner scowled at him.

"Why me?"

"Oh, Come on you're only here getting drunk because seeing Castle striking out with Kate is keeping you from telling a certain M.E that you're nuts about her" Ryan took a swig of beer and Castle lifted his head from the bar where it had previously been burried in his arm.

"Esposito, You've got a thing for Lanie?" Epsotio swallowed the last of his drink and pointed at his empty glass as he replied.

"I wouldn't call it a thing exactly"

"No, I'd call it a he's so crazy about her he can't think straight and she barely even knows he's breathing" Ryan laughed and Esposito shot him a look.

"Yeah, Well at least I'm not the one sitting here drinking Turkey likes it's water in the desert" He motioned towards Castle with his head as he spoke and Ryan laughed.

"HEY HEY HEY! I have a very good reason for drinking Turkey likes it's water..."Castle said then grinned and finished. "This bar don't got nothing stronger"

Ryan shook his head.

"Face it gentelmen there's a sickness going around the precinct called LOVE and you both caught it bigtime"

Castle nodded, "Yeah but a few more of these and I might be cured for awhile at least" He threw back another shot and Esposito copied.

"Alright that's it. Both of you are going to get up and the three of us are going to go over to Lanie's house and you're going to tell those women how you feel" Ryan announced

Castle held up a hand.

"How do we even know where Lanie lives?"

Ryan didn't reply just gave Esposito a knowing look and he shrugged.

"Yeah, I mean...I uh...drive by there sometimes...on certain nights"

Ryan looked past Esposito to Castle.

"He means nights when she has dates and he walks buy at midnight to see if she's awake and alone" Castle nodded and Esposito left his head fall forward onto the bar with a resounding thud.

The three men hailed a cab and with some reluctance Esposito and Castle climbed into it after Ryan. Kate had been staying with Lanie ever since her apartment had been blown up. It had started as a temporary arrangement but the two friends decided they liked being roomates and made it a long term thing.

They pulled up infront of the building and after Esposito and Castle stepped out of the cab they were surprised when Ryan shut the door.

Esposito turned and pulled the handle but it was locked. Ryan rolled down the window slightly with a laugh and Castle spoke.

"Hey, You mean you're not coming with us?"

Ryan laughed.

"Hey, I got a girl, good luck men" With that the cab pulled away and he was gone leaving the other two to fend for themselves.

Castle looked up at the building then at Esposito and spoke.

"So, Are we really going to do this or do you want to go back to the bar and tell Ryan they weren't home" Esposito looked at the building and shook his head.

"No, I'm going up there. I can't stand it anymore" He looked at Castle and shrugged.

"Hey even if they say no we're not worse off then we are now" He added

Castle nodded and they started up the steps.

"So, When you get up there what are you planning on saying?" Castle asked and Esposito laughed.

"Honestly man. I have no idea" They walked up the two flights of steps then down a short hallway to the third door and there Esposito stopped and took a deep breath before knocking.

It only took a few seconds for the door to open. Lanie was there in jeans and a black sweater he didn't know sweaters could look so good. He froze and Castle stood silent behind him.

"Castle, Esposito, What are you two doing here?" She seemed genuinely happy to see them and Kate came forward looking shocked.

"Castle!"

Seeing his chance Esposito quickly glanced at Castle.

"Yes, Castle wants to see you Beckett...so why don't you two go for a walk?"

She looked surprised but then so did Castle and she shrugged with a slight nod.

"Just let me get my coat" She moved and got her red coat off the hook stepping past Lanie and Esposito.

"Are you going to stay here or what?" She asked and Lanie gave her a shrug with a look that clearly said. ' i have no idea what the heck is going on here'

"Yes, I'll stay here and wait for Castle" Esposito nodded and then when neither of the women were looking he gave Castle a thumbs up.

After Castle and Kate were gone the uncomfortable silence set in. Lanie seemed alright while Esposito considered throwing himself out of the nearest window and praying the pavement would be more forgiving then he thought she would be.

He cleared his throat and motioned in the way Castle had just left as he spoke.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. He had something really important to tell her"

"What is it? Is something wrong?" He shook his head and motioned again taking a deep breath and speaking in a rush trying to make it sound like no big thing.

"No. He's just in love with her and wanted to tell her that's all"

Lanie laughed and he paled slightly. Was she on to him? was she laughing at him?

"I'll just go wait for him downstairs"

"No, Please come in I would like the company" He winced and then followed her into the apartment she shut the door and he jumped his only exit was now gone.

"Hey, Are you alright? You seem tense" She put a hand on his arm and he tensed more breaking out in a sweat.

"No. I'm fine I'm just you know nervous for Castle" He motioned to the door and she smiled.

"Oh, Trust me it's going to go just fine for Castle" She smiled and he tried to give her a smile back but it came off weak and a little lopsided.

She went over to the couch sat down and brought her feet up beside her before turning to look at him.

"Come sit down" He pulled at his collar before he went over and sat down at her feet.

She turned to lean against the arm rest to face him he sat tight against his armrest ready to bolt to his feet the second he needed too.

She smiled and wondered why he was acting weird and then decided to tease him. She put one foot on his knee and his head spun to face her so quick she thought he'd get whiplash.

"My knees hurt from standing at work. Do you mind if I just stretch out?" She asked innocently and he shook his head pulling on his collar some more.

She crossed her other foot over her ankle and slid deeper into the couch casually moving her foot further up his leg. He tensed and rubbed his left hand on his pant leg.

She didn't know what she was doing to him and if she did she'd be sick. He thought to himself he was sweating now his palms clamy and his heart raced .some very other important body parts were having a struggle as well.

"Are you alright?" She asked again genuinley concerned. He nodded and swallowed looking away from her.

' ok look away...look away...' He kept thinking to himself trying to keep himself distracted. Trying to keep his mind off how close she was. How good she looked and smelled not to mention how badly he wanted to touch her. In his head he began talking to himself about anything that would distract him.

She swung her feet off of him and put them on the floor before pulling her sweater over her head revealing a white tank top that showed off her long neck. Creamy shoulders and was very low cut.

"Oh, Dear God" He didn't even realize he spoke aloud until she turned and looked at him.

"What? Is something wrong?" She asked and he shook his head again.

She sat back on the couch placing her feet once again on his knee watching him closely this time. He kept facing straight ahead but even she noticed his eyes turning slightly to watch her and she grinned.

She sat up and moved until she was directly beside him and put her hand on his leg.

"Can I get you anything? Anything at all?" She asked sweetly and he looked a little mad at her flirting.

He was so sick now he could barely stand it. He wanted to touch her so bad and there she was flirting like mad and thinking it hilarious. She knew exactly what she could get him.

Shaking his head he thought a second then decided two people could play her game.

He turned his head and his eyes met hers. She was close enough he could see every fleck of gold in those deep brown eyes.

"I can think of something" He said softly and she seemed stunned she shifted her weight like she would move away and he surprised by his own boldness grabbed her thigh with one hand.

"Oh no you don't you started this and I'm going to finish it" He said before leaning in and kissing her.

He didn't want to scare her completely out of her wits so he tried to be as gentle and slow as he knew how. Barely brushing his lips against hers a few times before slowly adding a little more pressure. She didn't move away like he had thought she would she kissed back.

She moved her hands to his chest and his remained on her thigh the other on the back of the couch resisting the urge to crush her against him.

He pulled away from her briefly and she pulled him right back and this time pulled him down onto the couch ontop of her. That started a tidal wave that neither of them could have stopped. His hands were all over desperate to feel every inch in case she changed her mind and pushed him off he wanted it all commited to memory.

Her hands were pushing at his jacket. She pushed it off his shoulders and he shrugged it onto the floor his hands going for the bottom of her tank top. She pulled at the buttons on his shirt most of them popping off and skittering somehwere. The tank top came over her head and she raked her nails up his back. He had definitely been working out and she couldn't believe this was finally happening.

The years of flirting and teasing nearly driving each other to insanity and it all came down to this. The breaking point she could either go with it and let it be what it would or she could stop him now and go back to lonely nights alone thinking about him while watching sappy love movies and eating ice cream in her pajamas wondering if he was on a date.

She chose the first option. She chose him.

Castle and Beckett had been walking for a few minutes now and he had so far remained completely silent. She glanced at him he was walking unusually slow his hands in his pockets his head down.

"Castle are you sure you're alright?" Kate asked again and he look at her.

"Yeah, I'm just a little worried about Esposito...he wanted me to take you for a walk so he could tell Lanie something"

"Oh yeah? What?"

"That he's in love with her...hoplessly in love with her" Castle looked directly at her for the last part of his sentance and she looked away.

"Wow, Good for them...trust me you don't need to worry" She copied him saying the last part directly to him.

"I don't?" They stopped and both knew they weren't just talking about their friends anymore.

"No, She loves him too...Has for a very very long time...If I had to come home one more time to see her sitting on that couch eating ice cream and watching sappy love movies...I was going to kill her myself...She just needs a sign that he's serious" She looked in his eyes

"Oh, He's serious" Castle came closer then continued.

"He used to walk by her house almost everynight...wondering if she was in there and what she'd think of him. Being reduced to that level of standing in the freezing cold just to be near her"

"He could come in" Kate said it softly and Castle inched closer.

"He didn't think he had the right too"

"He did...He always did she wasn't waiting up for anyone else"

Castle moved and he kissed her pulling her as close as he could get her and she kissed him back. Neither one of them could be sure how long they stood there making out like a couple of teenagers too lost in their embrace to care if time stood still or not. When Castle at last pulled away Kate was smiling at him but she had tears in her eyes.

"I Love you" He told her and she smiled wider.

"I love you too" He kissed her again and held her close not wanting her to slip away.

"Come home with me" He begged when their kisses got more heated and too inappropriate for public and she noddded.

"I just have to tell Lanie" She said and he nodded taking her hand and the walked back to the apartment.

Kate used her key and opened the door stepping into the apartment she and Castle looked around but saw no sign of the detective or M.E. Kate stepped into the living room to see a sweater and tank top laying by the couch as well as a jacket. Further away was a button up mans shirt which had the buttons missing.

There was a light thud upstairs followed by a giggle and a squeal and then a man laughing. Kate walked towards the steps noticing by one wall was a pair of womens pants and a mans belt. At the bottom of the steps she could clearly hear the small moans and noticed a lacy pair of underware and matching bra. She turned to Castle when the moans got louder and grabbed his arm practically bolting for the door.

"Hey, Wait aren't you going to tell Lanie...?" He pointed into the apartment as she pulled the door shut clearly missing what was going on.

"Don't worry she's not going to notice if I'm not home tonight she has...someone else to keep her company"

"Are you sure?"

"There's no way I'm going back into that apartment or into her room tonight" Kate said walking towards the elevator. Castle followed.

"Alright but maybe I should call Esposito and tell him not to wait for me" Castle said pulling out his cell phone. Kate took it out of his hands.

"Don't worry he's not waiting for you"

Castle shrugged and wrapped his arms around Kate's waist pulling her in close to him. He placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm glad he got up the nerve to tell her how he felt" He said and Kate smiled.

"Me too. It's a good thing he came by tonight...She was getting lonely"

They both knew they weren't talking about their friends.

A/N : Kind of a weak ending but I have to say this is probably one of my best and favorite Castle fic I've done. So let me know what you think.

If you like this I also have a few more fics out now.

Kiss you goodbye: Castle/ Kate Finished

A welcome Inconvieniance: Esposito/ Lanie a partner with Kiss you

Last Chapter: Castle/Kate main and Esposito/Lanie on the

A Roomate Romance: Esposito/Lanie main and Castle/Kate on the side Finished

Before it All: Esposito/Lanie Finished and NEW!

I hope you enjoy reading my fics as much as I do writing them and if you're a writer and shipper keep up the work. We can always use more Lanie/Esposito stories or I might be forced to write a ton more. lol


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